The 20 Best Netflix Shows People Rarely Talk About

You're wrong if you think you’ve seen everything worth watching on Netflix. The platform is home to some of the best (and worst) TV series and movies that make you want to binge-watch in one go. However, some hidden gems are severely underrated and have been overlooked.

She's Gotta Have ItPhoto byImage Credit: David Lee/Netflix.

Amongst mega-popular shows like Stranger Things and Bridgerton, some shows that might even be better drown out in the sea of content. These niche shows will help expand your summer TV series marathon run and keep you hooked.

1. Atypical (2017)

Atypical is a refreshing take on a teenage kid named Sam living with Autism. It’s a breath of fresh air to Sam as the protagonist as he navigates the challenges of day-to-day life and overcomes them gradually. It’s a story about hope and compassion while not making people with Autism feel alienated. The show is much better than any random episode about “special needs” and acceptance.

2. Love, Death & Robots (2019)

Reminiscent of Black Mirror, Love, Death, and Robots is a phenomenal show. Every less than 20-minute episode has an entirely different dystopian reality. Every episode is animated by a various team of artists, making it very distinct to each team. From droids returning to tour the post-apocalyptic human survival strategies to a siren whose song fails to work on deaf knight Jibaro to Santa Clause himself, this show is a wild ride.

3. She's Gotta Have It (2017)

A remake of Spike Lee's 1986 feature debut, the show surprisingly manages to capture the essence of the original show, making it both nostalgic and new at the same time. 21st-century Nora is unapologetically herself and doesn’t put anyone’s needs above her own, which is not how the original show panned out. The show starts with Nola being involved in a relationship with a single mother while struggling with monogamy.

4. 3% (2016)

3% has to have one of the most intriguing storylines with a dystopian twist on economic disparity. Set in the future, the world is split between the haves and have-nots. The latter go through something called the Process that tests them, and if they pass, these people get promoted from the crowded slums to the paradisical island where you’ll find all the world's rich and elite.

5. Mindhunter (2017)

Based on the true story of an FBI agent who would profile serial killers, Mindhunter is not for the faint of heart. The series follows Holden, the agent, and his attempt to discover the ‘why’ behind cold-blooded murder. This criminal psychology series makes you horrified, intrigued, and thrilled at the same time. This brilliantly directed masterpiece should be at the top of your bucket list.

6. Daybreak (2019)

In a world where all adults cease to exist and only children are left behind, Daybreak offers a unique take on a futuristic reality where kids run the world and learn to survive. However, the series is filled with dry comedy yet packed with adventure and action, blending all the best genres. Starring Colin Ford as hero Josh Wheeler, who’s unable to find a faction, the concept of this show will leave you wondering how people come up with this stuff.

7. Dear White People (2017)

Dear White People is a story about racial clashes in an Ivy League institution. Starring college radio host Samantha White, who doesn’t hesitate to call out any racially discriminative event, incident, or comment that is made on campus, the show highlights the struggles of black people even in a prestigious institution.

8. Lovesick (2014)

Lovesick was originally called Scrotal Recall and stars Dylan, a 20-something romantic who’s slept with a fair share of women. He finds out that he has chlamydia, which leads him to a quest to find each one of those women and tell them to get tested as well. This quintessential show offers a TV love triangle in three epic seasons that will keep you hooked.

9. Midnight Mass (2021)

Mike Flanagan is known for the Haunting on the Hill House, yet one of his lesser-known works is the spectacular show Midnight Mass. The show is a harrowing tale of a charismatic new priest and the religious facade behind which he hides. It centers around an isolated island community that experiences miraculous things when this priest joins until everything goes wrong.

10. The End of the World (2017)

The End of the ******* World is a hidden gem with just how good the series is. Starring Jessica Barden (Alyssa) and Alex Lawther (James), the story centers around the journey of a moody girl and a psychopath, both of whom embark on a road trip to find Alyssa’s birth father. The actors have done a phenomenal job with their dry, morbid humor, cynicism, and vulnerability.

11. Next in Fashion (2020)

When Tan France is hosting the show, not much can go wrong. Next in Fashion is a TV series with 18 designers who must show off their skills in various challenges. As the stages progress, there are eliminations, and people must be let go. The show highlights phenomenal talent and trendy designs that will make or break the industry.

12. I Am Not Okay With This (2020)

If you love a teenage Netflix show, I Am Not Okay With This will make you vicariously live through its characters. The narrative is about a teenage girl navigating her complicated life with familial issues, questions about her sexuality, and her newfound powers. With engaging characters and a fitting environment, this show combines many genres.

13. The OA (2016)

There's not much you could want when a show has good writing, deep characters, and a fantastic storyline. The OA is all of that and more. The story follows Prairie, who went missing seven years ago and finally returns home. She used to be blind, but her sight has been restored after returning. Now in her twenties, some people view her as a miracle, while others think she’s dangerous.

14. Sense8 (2015)

Sense8 is a thriller with visuals and characters that could make you feel like you’re a part of the story. It follows eight strangers worldwide who are seemingly connected on a sensory level. Their thought, feelings, vision, and senses are intertwined. When all of them start getting violent visions, they find out that a secret organization is hunting them down. Sense8 will keep you on the edge of your seat.

15. Alice in Borderland (2020)

Everyone knows about Squid Games, but Alice in Borderland is even better. The show centers around a parallel Tokyo, where the protagonist and his friends are forced to compete in sadistic games to survive. This Japanese science fiction drama is packed with action and has a unique storyline that makes it worth watching.

16. Black Knight (2023)

Set in a future where pollution has caused the earth to become impossible to navigate without proper equipment, The Black Knight presents a stark reality of what the years ahead of us could be. The Black Knights are deliverymen who deliver necessities to people living in blocks and are humankind's only means of survival.

17. The 8 Show (2024)

Recently released, The 8 Show is gruesome, violent, and will make your stomach churn. The show is about a group of people who, due to their financial needs, end up agreeing to a game show where time is money, literally. The more time they spend there, the more money they make; however, not everyone makes the same money, and time tends to run out.

18. The Alienist (2018)

Based in 1896 New York City, The Alienist, starring the psychologist Laszlo Kreizler, is commissioned to solve the mystery of serial killer preying on young boys. This show is not for those faint of heart because it’s visual, disturbing, eerie, and makes your skin crawl. Kreizler’s unorthodox methods and beliefs in psychology make him a strange man in the late 1800s.

19. The Sinner (2017)

The Sinner is not just any investigative TV drama. It’s riveting and well-written, making you want to return for more. Detective Harry Ambrose's rawness, empathy, and unusual tactics make the entire show feel very real as he embarks on a journey to solve gruesome homicides and disappearances, almost losing himself in the process.

20. The Society (2019)

Imagine going on a school camping trip, only to return home to an empty town where all the adults have suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth. That’s the plot for The Society. This newfound freedom starts as exciting; however, they quickly realize that without any rules and regulations, things can get more dangerous than they thought, leading them to form alliances to survive.

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